Second time’s a charm: Harbaugh finally reels in Reid

Try as he might, then-Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t have a much of a chance when he was recruiting Eric Reid in high school.

Three years later, Harbaugh made sure LSU’s safety didn’t get away for a second time.

Eric Reid

Eric Reid. (AP)

The 49ers traded up 13 spots in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night to select the safety they coveted with the No. 18 pick. San Francisco dealt a third-round pick (No. 74) to ensure they grabbed the two-time All-American who will be expected fill the vacancy created when All-Pro safety Dashon Goldson signed with Tampa Bay last month. The 49ers still have 11 draft picks, including two selections (No. 34 and 61) in Friday’s second round.

Reid grew up in Geismar, La., located about 20 miles from LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge. His dad, Eric Sr., was a three-time All-American hurdler who is a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame.

LSU or Stanford? On a conference call from the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, Reid said it wasn’t much of a decision.

“I still bleed purple and gold, so it was a no-brainer for me to go LSU,” he said. “They were actually the only school that recruited me as hard as LSU did. All the other schools pretty much gave up — knowing that I was an in-state guy. It says a lot about how much he wanted me to go to Stanford and I appreciated it.”

Reid, who graduated from LSU in three-and-a-half years with a degree in business administration, was a strong student in high school. His academic record gave Harbaugh hope he could convince Sharon Reid her son was better off at Stanford.

On Thursday night, Harbaugh smiled. He’d finally gotten his guy and no wooing was required.

“This time,” he said, “Eric had no choice in the matter.”

Texas’ Kenny Vaccaro, viewed as the draft’s top safety, was taken by the Saints with the No. 15 pick. That likely spurred the 49ers into action.

Among the myriad trade discussions San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke had this week was one with Cowboys executive Stephen Jones. On Thursday morning, Baalke and Jones agreed to the parameters of the trade, assuming the player the 49ers were targeting was available.

“It was really an easy trade on the clock,” Baalke said. “… We don’t talk about who we want. If our player was there, we’d be willing to move up. If he wasn’t, we would have stayed pat or maybe looked at a different option.”

After he was selected, Reid strode the podium carrying his 3-year-old daughter, LeLanie, as he was congratulated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

“It’s been such a blessing,” Reid said. “She’s the reason I am the way I am today, along with the way I was raised. The game of football has changed for me. It was a personal goal for me at first. But now it’s a way to provide for my family. It’s a way to provide for my daughter. I’m just ecstatic that I can do that.”